IC PCI Bridges

PCI bridges are semiconductors used to expand the number of slots available on peripheral component interconnect (PCI) devices. There are three basic types of PCI bridges: PCI host controllers, transparent PCI bus bridges, and nontransparent PCI bus bridges. PCI host controller devices act as a bridge between a processor bus and a PCI bus. These are generally built into a computer and cannot be added after the fact except using a processor-direct slot (PDS). A transparent PCI bridge device is commonly used to extend a PCI bus beyond the physical distance allowed for a simple bus by the PCI specification. A nontransparent PCI bridge device is often used to connect two PCI buses that are managed by separate hosts. A power-managed PCI bridge device supports an extended capabilities list, and within the capabilities list, provides the PCI power management interface registers. PCI bridge drivers are devices used for programming PCI bridges. Other types of PCI bridges are commonly available.<br><br>

PCI bridges have a standard construction. PCI bridges construction includes enhanced 3-port PCI-to- PCI bridges, 2-port PCI-X to PCI-X bridges, and 2-port PCI-to- PCI bridges targeting PCI bus expansion for I/O intensive applications. A 64-bit/133MHz device is also backward compatible to 32-bit/33MHz device. A PCI to PCI bridge includes a Intel 21555 chip, which performs the specified tasks. An Intel 21555 includes a parallel ROM interface that can be used to attach the expansion ROM for the subsystem. As a 3.3-volt device with 5.0-volt-tolerant receivers, the Intel 21555 reduces power dissipation and enables the design of universal PCI cards. The PCI to ISA bridge core supports 8-bit and 16-bit ISA bus devices, while the PCI bus is 32-bits wide. The PCI to ISA bridge core is capable of taking one PCI transfer and converting it into four or two transfers on the ISA bus. PCI bridges are designed and manufactured to meet most industry specifications.<br><br>

PCI bridges are used in various applications. Examples include delivering the vital designs for major markets such as communications, computing, core storage, connectivity, and display technologies. PCI bridges also support data and I/O transfers. PCI bridges should adhere to Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) standards.

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Part Numbers for IC PCI Bridges